User Ratings & Reviews

Reviews by andruke:

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5/5 rDev +17.1%

As perfect as an IPA as I could ask for; a very favorite. Strikes the perfect balance between hops and malt, retaining characters of both in flavor (far too many IPAs are stupidly hoppy, heavy-handed). Smooth and endlessly drinkable, my ideal session brew. Perfect head, beautiful color. The benchmark against which I judge other IPAs, and indeed, other beers in general.

I'll say it this way: it's the only beer that I'm offering at my wedding next spring :)

There is no other beer to which I have so many attached memories. I'll try not to let these attachments figure too much in the rating (in the name of something approaching an "objective" review), and yet- for this beer in particular- I am glad for the "Overall Impression" metric, into which I will pour all my personal affection. I love you, Two-Hearted. I loved you always stocking yourself in the fridge of my college apartment, I loved you after long shifts of tending a bar, I loved you as a teacher- of what "quality" in beer means, of the conversations good beer can catalyze, of the IPA-per-day limits of a single human tongue (and body). I love you now and always. In this glass- as both a cold beer to be evaluated by the senses and gamified on a website, and as some sort of Proustian rendition that, in spirit, incorporates each and every glass, as well as each and every story that followed or is to follow. Here's one story...

An inch or so of fine-bubbled head, off-white in color, is resting on top of an opaque, amber liquid. Retention is good, and little latticed patterns of lacing drape around the glass.

Let's take the first whiff! Grapefruit- particularly zest- combined with an additional, slightly resiny and syrupy hop character hit you first. As the beer warms just a tad, you notice the increased depth of aromas, including some bready malt, mellow caramel, and more and varied citrus, which greet the senses subtly rather than sharply. It is still the grapefruit and resin that own the hop show. By the time the beer is half gone, and perhaps 5 degrees warmer, a certain pattern emerges to this nose: Bready caramel and slight citrus --> Solid grapefruit/orange zest, perhaps a touch of nectarine --> resin and sticky hop notes (though mellow rather than cloying) and more grapefruit.

Taste is wonderful, and only gets better for a while. I'd say the beer flavor (somewhat predictably for East Coast and Midwest IPAs due to larger malt presence) holds up very well to slight warmth, even palatable as the beer's temp has increased well over 10 degrees. Still- it is in those first few minutes, when the malt character has just begun to become more pronounced and yet the grapefruit is still high-flying- where the beer is at its peak. From the first sip after the bottle cracks, bready malt and grapefruit are there. This is, for the most part, the first impression of every sip. Mid-palate the other citrus qualities- namely lemon and orange zest- are more apparent, while the finish again reiterates grapefruit with some attached resiny and floral qualia that sustains a complex and complete aftertaste buoyed by a strong and salient bitterness. To me, this exact execution of bitterness (and I admit, this may be a product of my attachment to the brew) is the gold standard by which I relate all other beers that feature hop bitterness as their essential grammar. I'll admit to other IPAs having better hop and malt profiles and more memorable flavor attributes, for sure. I'll admit that some IPAs are even much more pleasant drinking experiences as a whole. But when I think of the way bitterness is implemented the floral and grapefruit-mounted smack of a Two-Hearted is my ne plus ultra. A mellow caramel malt character increases as we go. It all works very well. A wonderful IPA in flavor.

Rounded mouthfeel and medium carbonation characterize the feel of the beer. Dry-ish, slightly under-attenuated finish is nice and prevents those latent sticky hops and caramel malts from hijacking the overall balanced impression. Slightly prickly and refreshing at every stage. Glorious. I was surprised to find that the feel may actually be my favorite aspect of the beer.

A beer that makes me happy. A beer that is tremendously executed. A fantastic beer.

Unmatched balance of malt supporting the hops. Great depth of flavors and aromatics which remain throughout length of taste and continuing with mouthful. Stands above all other APAs and never varies year after year.

I have had a lot of beers in my young life. This is my go-to beer. The first time I tasted it, I wept. The only reason I didn't give this a perfect 5 is because I have to hold on hope that one day I will try a beer that is better than this.

Edit: Also, I know a guy that knows a guy that knows the brewmaster at Bell's. He told me there are as much hops in 1 pint of Two-Hearted as there are in 7 and a half cases of Budweiser.

I can't believe I've never reviewed this. It's go time. This is
Batch 10199 and the Batch Finder tells me that it was packaged on January 31, 2011. Yummy freshness to come.

Two Hearted pours a beautiful, see through, golden-amber-orange that just sparkles when held to light. Poured into a 23 oz. snifter, a one finger, eggshell white head forms. There are a fair amount of carbonation bubbles in the body and they move at medium pace. The lacing is phenomenal. Even when it is still quite cold and I haven't yet imbibed, beautiful spindly patterns blossom on the sides of the glass post-swirl.

The aroma brings pure hop goodness to my nose. Pine resin, cannabis, fresh, dewy grass, grapefruit, and earthy metals are derivative of the all-Centennial hop bath from whence Two Hearted is born. It is something else, this aroma. Deep inhales reveal just enough of a caramel and toasted malt balance to keep the runaway hop train from flying off the tracks. But, mostly, hops just assault my nose.

The taste reveals a much more appropriate balance of hops and malt; I mean, good Lord, my tongue would suffer from hop shock (ooh, that's a good name for a hoppy beer), wither, and fall out of my mouth if the taste was as hop-alicious (another one! Bam!) as the smell. That said, the bitter, resiny hops still rip at the sides of my palate as the sweet malt flavors blanket my tongue. So citrusy, so bitter, and so delicious is Two Hearted. I should note this: when I was not as much a beer geek as I am now, whenever I drank Two Hearted, it made me think of eating carrots. I'm not sure why, although I am guessing the earthiness of the hops made me taste earthy carrots. Actually, the last sip I took was quite carrot-y.

Two Hearted's mouthfeel is abusive and is really just what I seek from an American IPA. The hops just bombard my bitter receptors as the malt sweetness tries to coat my tongue and make me feel a little better. In the end, they don't and I couldn't be happier. This is a saliva-sucking IPA and makes my mouth feel quite hoppy in love (damn, breweries should be reading this for hop-named beer ideas).

Well, you can probably guess after this gushing review that I think Two Hearted is drinkable. And you're right. My only critique would be that T.H. that is this fresh would just wreck my palate and leave it in a sloppy mess after two or three of them. That's just the price one has to pay for fresh, hoppy beer, though. One of my all-time favorites and an IPA that I will be enjoying until I die.

Appearance  Light orange in color and hazy with a big, beautiful head that showed excellent retention and left tons of lacing alongside my Ruination glass. The frothing foam just oozed along the glass like The Blob chasing turtles over an ice rink.

Smell  This one has a very balanced nose. The complex hops (predominantly floral, I think) are soft yet clearly steer this conga line. The malt base is just right and complimented with some light, grainy sugars. The lovely fruiting is here as well. I especially enjoyed the tangerine/grapefruit combination.

Taste  Dont rate this one too quickly or youll miss it. In taking my time with this (it is my first rating of the night) and I find the balance to be almost seamless.

The citrus hops lead things off and, again, steer more than dominate. Theres a slight bitter pine note at the very end, like the final strike of a piano key at the end of a well-played symphony. In the middle are the time-keeping malty drums, ensuring that the flavors come out in the right sequence and the proper strength. The fruity chorus pleases the pallet, bringing purpose to the other flavors.

Mouthfeel  Bells could have chosen to make this a bit heavier, but they opted for session over sensationalism. I like the heavy-hitters just as much as the next hophead, but the body here was right on target. Its medium at best with a very slight bittering at the end.

Drinkability  Not only was this a pleasure to consume but, believe it or not, it was quite the educational experience. They took a very interesting angle in putting this one together and, like TheBum alluded to, it must have been like constructing the Eiffel Tower. Great job  a true work of art!

Comments:

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Muched hype surrounding this one. I was really amped up (to ELEVEN) to try this for the first time. Got it. Then the sadness set in: nothing special or outstanding about BTHA. I found it to be very average in all aspects.
Will not avoid but will not go out of my way to get it either.

Appears golden-copper, crisp-looking with a low head, but nice threads lacing.
Nose is bready, with citrus and pine.
Taste is something else. As in, something unlike so many ipa's that have soaked the market.....this
Juicy grapefruit, massive hop bitterness. Tasty in that another sip can't come soon enough. Peppery, with what to me has a pilsner-like malt quality, and it feels so smooth...medium-bodied. Zesty orange notes come through as I sip it longer. Impressive IPA taste. I'm equally impressed by the malt backbone. The flavor and balance with the centennial hops is superb there. The easiest benchmark IPA to compare it with, as far as centennial-hopped IPAs go, would be Founder's IPA. Only issue there, in my book, is that this Bell's IPA appears to be the new benchmark. Glad they came to Texas.

I'm not sure why I keep trying other IPAs (perhaps because it, like many of us, it is my favorite style) because I keep coming back to Two Hearted. It always impresses and I love the 16 ounce can. There may be better ones out there but this one works for me. Pours and amber yellow with a nice head and great lacing. And the taste just works for me. Not too bitter and not too fruity. Wonderful mouthfeel.

Pours a golden/amber. The head is aggressive, 1.5-2", but quickly retreats evenly. Lacing is minimal, a light film. Quite clear with normal carbonation. Heavy aromatics and floral, piney and citrus notes on the front. Some light wheat-y sweet indicators. Citrus dominates with orange peel bitterness. Light grapefruit and rose notes. Then, orange peel and lemongrass. Overall, very nice aroma. Flavor comes in with heavier grapefruit than the aroma would indicate. NIce transition from sweet fruit to hops bittering. Flavor is quite intense. Balanced, but more sweet in front and bitter behind. BItter lasts long, and builds throughout the session, but it's not off-putting. Mouthfeeel is quite full for a beer so light and clear. Very satisfying but at the same time sessionable. Alcohol content, while high for its type, is an afterthought. Personally, this is one of the best beers of this type I have had. Very drinkable, yet still complex enough to keep you wondering.

12 oz brown bottle with no freshness date to be found. Thanks to sakaroo for the sample.

Appearance: Overly foamy to being with, nice densely rocky head with a patch lace. Slightly hazy in the golden hue.

Smell: Big aroma of floral and citric hop, lots of hops. Faintly ester with a blanket of fruitiness.

Taste & Mouthfeel: Moderate body, smooth crispness and a touch of creaminess in the back. Light pale malt and yeast give a doughy biscuity flavour throughout. The hop character is strong with a semi-sharp bitterness and a long lingering citric toned flavour. Bitter dry finish.

Notes: A super hoppy brew with a puckering dryness that I would only put up against the sharpest of cheddars. A hop heads delight without a doubt.

Excellent world class IPA. Very crisp and lemony citrus. Grapefruit Bitter sipping with fruity salt, and bitter aftertaste with high but effective complementary hops. Lots of initial and remaining foam. Light texture. Floral aroma. Had this five years later on tap at the brewpub and it is flavourful.

Just had out of the pint can and into a tulip glass. It's a beer I have often and have respect for because of it's consistency. This smells of citrus and an overall floral bouquet, some lavender is there which I find unique to two hearted ale. It tends to the floral side and less to the tropical fruit and resin of a west coast style IPA, but hints of these are in the nose, however. That being said the taste is refreshingly bitter with a pleasant presence of malt, not sweet but truly balanced. It is a remarkable beer for what it is year in and year out. I can taste a slight variation in the hop profile between batches, but the floral component is always there. It's a classic ale that I will always gravitate towards when I want something familiar and simply good. It's not a flavor bomb, but subtle and floral like the difference between a French Sancerre and California Sauvignon Blanc in wine terms. It's more subtle and nuanced for an IPA and that makes it worthy of being a classic, always welcome in my fridge.

Bottle courtesy of Daalamar: Poured a light orangey color ale with a huge foamy head with great retention. Aroma of floral hops is quiet enticing with a great semi-sweet malt base. Taste of crisp and citrus hops are well mixed with a nice solid sweet malt based. Carbonation is lively and body is about average. Overall a really good example and enjoyable take on the style thought a bit overrated in my opinion.

Tried and true 2 Hearted is a fairly unique offering from Bells in the presently saturated IPA market.

Wide distribution footprint, readily availible in the northeast, fairly priced and a high quality product.

Served 40F from the 16 ounce pounder can. Poured into 12 ounce snifter.

Really nice slightly hazy golden orange color. Lacing is perfect. Not too agressive, but hangs around for a while.

The nose is somewhat subdued when weighed against the taste. I get a very slight mosaic and caramel scent. If any dry hopping occurred here it was very minimal.

Also note that this ale was canned on August 11th and the local grocery store just got this shipment 3 days ago. Erie distribution does a horrible job getting ales fresh to the customer. This seems to have been laying in their warehouse for at least 3 months.

Taste is very solid. A little bit sugary for my liking but really well balanced. The malts and hops align well and produce a unique formula. I get notes of pear, pine and orange zest from the hops. Pilsner and crystal notes from the malts.

For a 7% abv, I taste barely any alcohol. This being the fourth time I have tried Two Hearted in the past 4 years, this canned 4 month old version seems to be the best, and the freshest.

Great ale, but nearly impossible to find fresh. I would also note that 2 Hearted is very close in taste and quality to Ballast Point Sculpin, minus the inflated price tag.

This has full, satisfying, Malty flavorfulness blended with ample Hoppy bitters and a tangy alcohol finish. It has the added plus that it's sold in my local Trader Joes, where it is easily the best beer TJ carries ('Kilt Flasher' by Devil's Backbone Brewing is a close second within TJ's stock).

O: top-tier IPA action here - glad Bell's has found its way to Long Island - the flavors and smells and feel are fairly style-typical, but there is something that happened in the execution of this beer that produced a product of exceptional quality. In terms of craftsmanship, it draws comparisons to the best of the rest.

A: The beer is light pale amber in color with a thin layer of bubbles floating on the surface. A light level of carbonation is visible.
S: A light aroma of citrusy and piney hops along with some hints of caramel malts is present in the nose.
T: There is an excellent balance between the malt and hops, with lots of citrusy flavors similar to the smell.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate. There's a good amount of carbonation and the beer does not feel sticky.
D: The beer is very drinkable and not a trace of alcohol is noticeable in the smell or taste.

Glad to find some Bell's in the South. I've heard of this beer and was eager to give it a try. It's an opaque amber-orange, with an small off white head that laces mildly. On the nose, I catch mango and pineapple, or perhaps some other tropical fruits, as well as a buttery, toasted malt character that's subtle, but balancing in it's effect. The taste follows. It's light and refreshing with some floral and tropical notes, followed by some residual piny-ness that ends in a dry, malty finish. Medium mouthfeel with medium-high carbonation. A superbly balanced and flavorful IPA. Quite possibly the best I've had so far.